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Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

Is 5 too early for aspergers assessment?

14 replies

Shugarlips · 08/09/2010 11:04

Hello all

My son is 5 and I think he has Aspergers for a variety of reasons. My husbands nephew has it and I know it's genetic. He wasn't diagnosed until he was 15 so a lot of his behaviour I thought was easy to spot and had suspected he did have Aspergers for a while.

My question is 'is 5 too early to test for it?' because a lot of the indicators seem to be things that 5 year olds may do (or not do) due to the fact that they are 5. When I have asked at school they say he is the youngest in the year so will be more immature than his peers and it's too early to tell. They were quite non commital really.

What do you think?

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IndigoBell · 12/09/2010 14:29

No, not at all too early.

Go to your GP and asked to be referred to the child development paedetrician to be assessed. Look on the SN board, loads of kids are diagnosed even earlier.

defineme · 12/09/2010 14:33

My ds1 was 4 when he was diagnosed- 3 when I had concerns. His behaviour was clearly different than other kids and harder work!

Shugarlips · 13/09/2010 11:15

defineme - what do you mean when you say harder work? I have used this phrase when describing my son's behaviour.

He originally got allocated a big primary school near us that my husband and I didn't like, it just didn't feel right and we luckily got him a place at a much smaller, faith school that we felt was nurturing etc. We did this because we have always felt that our son is less equipped to deal with life than other boys his age. We also think he is different from other boys but up until now have I guess explained his behaviour away.

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curlymama · 13/09/2010 22:03

Definately not too early. Especially when it can take so long to get a formal diagnosis. Take Indigo Bell's advice as above, but also make an appointment with the head teacher and tell them you would like him assesed. When I did this with my son he was nearly 8, and the teachers filled in the form straight away. They had to apply inline to the LA for him to be observed by an Educational Psycologist, who didn't make a diagnosis, but was much more helpful in terms of getting him extra support at school. And her reports helped the paediatrician too.

They will ask you why, somake sure you are armed with a list of reasons!

Shugarlips · 14/09/2010 10:09

Went to GP yesterday and he mentioned ADHD rather than AS. Don't know if we feel better or worse now because he referred him immediately and said there was more than enough evidence.

I also went to see the headteacher and she said they hadn't picked anything up and in fact they felt his behaviour in the playground had improved which perhaps shows he can learn the correct way to behave which may rule out AS??

She said they would of course work with the consultant paed and she knows the doctor we have been referred to.

Progress??

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mummytime · 14/09/2010 10:35

Kids with AS can be very rule following, so can behave well if they know the rules.

But congratulations for getting the referral. Hopefully it comes soon, and they give you some answers/help.

curlymama · 14/09/2010 13:32

It is progress because at least you know it's not just you imagining things, and you know that when he get a diagnosis something can be done to help. Whatever they decide he has, he is your ittle boy and will be affected as an individual. None of these theings ever affect two children in exactly the same way.

My ds's Dad found it quite hard to accept that our son had a label that meant there was something 'wrong' with him at first, but I was really pleased because it was like getting the passport to access the support that is out there. Even though I was pleased, I was still upset that he had it at all and was going to have to figure out life in a different way. The process of getting assesments and finally a diagnosis is not an easy one, you have my sympathy!

By the way, I wouldn't say that children with AS can't learn the correct way to behave. They can, the difference is that it does have to be learned, rather than just comng naturally as it does to most children. My ds knows how to behave, whether he chooses to or not is another matter! But he is very different at home and at school, they think he is an angel at school, and find it hard to believe me when I tell them how awful he is capable of being.

Shugarlips · 14/09/2010 13:57

Curlymama - It's so interesting that you say your DS is an angel at school. I wouldn't say my son is an angel but when I told the headteacher that we had been referred for suspected ASD she raised her eyebrows and I think she thought I was imagining it.

It's also true that I do have to tell my DS to say Hello and Goodbye and wave etc and when I do he then does it. He has to be given the words and actions because I really don't think he knows what to do.

The more I think about it all I can't believe I haven't been to the GP before.

How is your boy doing now?

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curlymama · 14/09/2010 14:33

Tbh, some of the time I thought I was imagining it when my son was still little. I knew really that he was different to the other children, even when he was a baby, but until I found out a bit more about AS, I really didn't know why. And there was always a reason that you could attribute certain behaviours to, ifkwim? Then when I did understand AS, everything fell into place, and I was sure he had it for at least 18 months before he was finally diagnosed.

Don't feel bad that you haven't been to the GP before, you went earlier than I did, and my ds is fine. I learned to respond to him as an individual anyway, and it was the things I learned myself that made the difference to how I reacted to him, not the stuff the doctors had to say. When I realised that he had AS, I felt horribly guilty for two times that I had told him off, and forced him to look at me. I though he was just being rude, and didn't realise that eye contact is something that AS children genuinely find hard. He had acted like pure evil towards his younger brother both times, and obviously didn't understand the way he was making his brother feel. But I used to wonder what I'd done wrong and how he could possibly be so horrible. Btw, I know I shouldn't say 'evil' about my son, but that is honestly how I used to feel. He is my child, I love him to the ends of the earth, and I would slap anyone else that dared say the same! I'm just trying to be honest!

He is absolutely fine now, it has got easier as he's got older, (he's just turned 10)although there will always be aspergers traits that we have to deal with. Like the behaviour has got alot better, he fully understands what is acceptable and what is not, and he knows the consequenses if he does things he shouldn't. I feel sad though that he only very occasionally feels truly proud of himself, he doesn't often feel that nice feeling you get when you do something nice for someone else, things like that. But it doesn't bother him, he knows no different. He has always been incredibly bright, pretty much taught himself to read when he was four, can do maths that my brain can't comprehend, but it has started to show now that he struggles with English. Not spelling and grammar, those are things he finds easy to learn, but when he has to write a story he just can't do it. He has no imagination at all, and during comprehension questions where he has to answer things like 'what do you think about.....? ' ect, he finds incredibly difficult. That has come as a bit of a shock really, because I never had to worry about anything academically before.

I'm waffling a bit, but really, it's all fine and cope with able! It's just about finding different ways of dealing with things.

Don't worry too much about the teachers reaction, she may have pre conceived ideas about these things and might learn something herself from your son. You know him best.

Shugarlips · 14/09/2010 18:44

Curleymama - It is great to hear that your son is fine now and doing well - I was talking to a friend who organises learning support at a college and he said that students with AS always do better with sciences and maths and not the arts or humanities because they struggle with inferred meaning.

My son has a thing with ages - always asking people 'How old they are'. We went on a coach transfer when we went on holiday (the holiday was the straw that broke the camels back and made me go and see the GP btw!!!)and he sat down in the seat and asked a stranger how old they were and then asked if that was higher or lower than another number. He does this with adults and children. My Dad's a taxi driver and his number is 226 and my son asks frequently on car journeys 'Is 304 bigger than 226?' 'Is 298 bigger than 226' again and again!! This doesn't sound a big deal but it's more than a passing interest with him.

My son has no imagination (I'd say thats the part of the triad I can name most examples under) and asks me 100 times a day'What can I do now?' because he can't think of things to do despite having lots of toys around him. He hates dressing up (for school theme days for example) and has never role played. I think this was half the trouble with play groups - I never got a cup of tea and a chat because he would not play with other children. He insisted sitting on my lap with me reading books to him. When he laid out 'traps' around the house for us to trip over I thought he was imaginatively playing until I realised he was copying scenes from the film 'Home Alone'!! He has never played on his own, well once and that was lining cars up like a traffic jam. He just doesn't play with toys he needs us all the time and when his sister doesn't want to play with him (she's 11 so hardly surprising!) he gest aggressive and tries to make her. He can be vile to her.

I am waffling now - sorry - it's just good to share these things with someone who understands. You aren't going to say he is naughty or typical boy or rude. I think my relationship with him has improved already because I am taking him as he is and not how he is 'supposed' to be.

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Shugarlips · 14/09/2010 18:51

Sorry another thing - pain thresholds.

My son broke his arm on holiday and didn't cry at all. Also whenever he has had a tummy upset or tonsilitus he never complained or cried. He shut his finger in a door and the finger nail went black - didn't flinch. I think he has properly cried once in his life excluding night terrors which was just screaming really. He also hardly ever cried when he was a baby.Is this expected with AS?

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curlymama · 14/09/2010 19:21

Lol! I remember playgroups like that only too well! It's interesting hearing your stories. My ds did play alone, he has always prefered it that way. We had lots of lining up of cars, blocks in order, that sort of thing. He is currently obsessed with football cards, and will spend ages putting them into the right groups.

I don't know if pain thresholds are a reconised AS thing, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were. We are lucky enough never to have had any serious injuries, (maybe because the spacial awareness isn't great so he rarely takes risks) but my ds rarely complains at any normal ilnesses or minor injuries. So my feeling is that he does have quite a high pain threshold. And he will only ever cry out of frustration or anger. Never because he is hurt or just upset. Again, I don't know if this is expected, but probably.

My ds will freak out at an itchy label in the back of his jumper though, or a pair of socks feeling to tight after being in the wash.

It's all very individual.

Shugarlips · 14/09/2010 20:50

Yes to labels and he wouldn't wear shorts for ages even in 90 degree heat for some reason we never got to the bottom of.

DS is into Ben 10 cards at the moment and I mean 'into'!!!

You are right it is individual Smile

I started a thread on SENs - children about pain thresholds and the repsonses are really interesting/helpful

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Shugarlips · 14/09/2010 20:52

I meant special needs:children Smile

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